Monday, Jan. 8, 2007

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Turkey looks to shut out online gambling sites

By Erin Warner

The Turkish government may block access to online gambling Web sites with an amendment to existing censorship laws, a newspaper in the country is reporting.

The restrictions are designed to prevent "indecent broadcasting and online gambling," says the paper, Yeni Safak.

The amendment would affect existing laws, allowing the Information Technology Security Agency to block and censor Web sites classified as offensive. Sites will be banned if they are deemed to be "denigrating Turkishness, the republic, the institutions and organs of the state."

In addition to online gambling, the new law also aims to crack down on child pornography and indecent broadcasting on the Internet.

Those violating the new regulations could face immediate legal action following an investigation by the government security agency. All Turkish Internet service providers will be expected to comply the changes.

If they don't, offending parities could spend anywhere from six months to three years in prison.

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